Traveling-case cover



Nov. 10, 1925- 83 A. HALFIN TRAVELING CASE COVER Filed Oct. 24 1924 INVENTOR RNEY Patented Nov. 10, 1925.

ABRAHAM EA PIN, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

TRAVELING-CASE COVER.

Application filed October 24, 1924. Serial No. 745,546.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM HALPIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traveling-Case Covers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to removable covers or protectors for suit cases, trunks, or other analogous traveling cases and has particular reference to a cover that is quickly and easily manipulated for putting it upon or around the container covered thereby or for opening or removing the same therefrom to give access to the container.

More particularly stated, among the objects of the invention is to provide a water or storm proof cover for suit cases or other analogous baggagethat is adapted for the protection of such containers when carried on or in road vehicles such as automobiles. It is well known that suit cases or the like when carried on a running board of an automobile become disfigured and even damaged because of storm conditions including rain, mud, snow, orthe like, or even from dust or other objectionable road conditions, and therefore it is a problem to properly protect the suit cases from such objectionable conditions. Another problem also lies in the fact that covers or protectors for luggage as heretofore practiced are unsightly and unwieldy in manipulation and require considerable time and effort to put the same in place or remove the same from the luggage. Moreover, the covers as heretofore proposed are objectionably expensive because of troublesome and costly fasteners that have been used. I

Another object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an effective, neat appearing, and relatively cheap construction of a cover for luggage which is not only easily and quickly manipulated, but is self retained in place whether on the road or being carried in the hand, without the necessity for specially designed or complicated metallic or other fasteners.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the inventionconsists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and-while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like suit case, the end flaps being closed.

Fig. 3 is a further progressive view of the closing operation, the top flap being brought toward its final position.

Fig. 4 shows the suit case completely covered and as lying on the same side as in Fig. 3 but turned around partially.

Fig. 5 is a partial end view and partia section on the line 55 of Fig. 4, but with the suit case standing on what is ordinarily regarded as its bottom and indicating how the final flap of the cover is self retained in position by the weight of the structure.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, indicates any conventional suit case, trunk, or the like as a piece of luggage, the same having ahandle H for its usual purpose. The joint between the main portion of the suit case and its cover is indicated at c. This reference is made to the container simply as a basis for the description of the invention which follows.

The cover, made of any suitable material,

portion 10 having a side panel 11 which will be referred to hereinafter as the bottom or the side next to the bottom ofthe suit case when it is in the position to be opened. The cover includes also end panels 12, an inside top panel 13, and an outside top panel 1 1. The cover may be suited as at 15 in any suitable manner for the accommodation of the handle of the suit case which may pass outward therethrough when the cover is ap-" plied to the container.

The main body portion of the cover may correspond substantially in ca acity and extent to the bottom portion o the suit case and into which the suitcase is fitted permanently or inay be fitted permanently. The inside cover or top panel 13 is flanged at 17 so as to connect with the main body portion when closed or to be opened when access is desired to be had to the suit case. The connection between the inside cover 13 and the main body may be had through any suitable mechanism such, for instance, as the well known Lock-tite slidable fastener at 18, Fig. 1 indicating the position of the slide as it approaches its closing position. One

ortion of the locking mechanism is carried by an auxiliary flap or flange 19 constituting a part of the upper portion of the cover or the part adjacent to the handle. In some constructions, however, it is to be noted that the inside cover and fastening means therefor may be omitted with satisfactory results.

In order to make an effective and self holdin closure for the cover I employ a pair of end flaps 20 connected to the main body of the cover along hinge or bending lines 21. These end flaps consist each of two parts a and 6 connected along the line 22 and include also two triangular end pieces 23. These parts are connected so as to form a sort of trough-like connection which is so designed with respect to the main portion of the cover as to fit snugly upon the corner or edge portion of the suit case as plainly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, but are adapted to swing freely outward and upward from such position as is indicated in Fig. 1, leaving the suit case top or lid free to be opened directly upward or for the inside cover 13, if used, to be opened for access to the suit case lid or the inside cover lid 13 if used. After the end flaps are closed as shown in Fig. 2 the outside or final cover lid 14 is brought over into place. This cover includes a trough-like structure hinged along the line 24 and end braces 25 and also having at its free edge a flange 26 held at right angles to the main portion of the top flap 14 by means of corner pieces 27. As shown in Fig. 3, by bringing the final top flap 14 into place with the flange 26 drawn snugly down so as to embrace the end flaps, the entire cover is self retained in closed position as in Figs. 4 and 5. Now since the final flange 26 is located at what is commonly regarded as the bottom of the suit case, it follows that when the suit case is carried on the running board of an automobile or in any other manner as supported upon such bottom, the weight of the structure being brought upon the flange 26 insures that no part of the cover can become loose or unsightly. As indicated plainly in Fig. 4, the edge of the main portion of the end of the panel 14, at 28 registers with the edge of the construction and having no overlap or flange at the end will not be liable to be engaged and disaccess is to be had to the container with the structure lying on its side 11, as shown in the first four figures, the flange or flap 26 is easily lifted or stripped from its holding position so that the panel 14 may be thrown back over the handle as in Figs. 1 and 2. Even the end flaps 20 are thrown off as in Fig. 1, giving direct access to the interior parts.

I claim:

1. The herein described traveling case cover comprising a-main body portion to receive the main body of the traveling case, a pair of end flaps of trough formation hingedly connectedto the end portions of the main body of the cover and adapted to overlie the end corners of the traveling case lid, and a top panel hingedly connected to the main body along that portion thereof remote from the hinge line of the case lid and having at its free edge a self-holding locking flange having snug slidable holding fit against the bottom of the structure whereby the entire cover is held in place.

2. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the end flaps have each a pair of end pieces which serve to hold effectively the main portions of the end flap substantially at right angles to each other.

3. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the top panel and the final sealing flange are connected at their end corners by bracing angular portions for holding these parts at substantially right angles 'to each,

other.

4. The herein described self holding suit case cover comprising a main body portion in which the main body of the suit case is fitted, a pair of end flaps of angular form in cross section hingedly connected to the end portions of the body and adapted to swing outward from the suit case or to swing over toward each other over the ends 01 the suit case lid to which they are fitted,

and a cover panel including a trough-like structure hingedly connected to the main body of the cover along the region ofthe handle thereof and adapted to be brought flat upon and over the suit case lid and the end flaps aforesaid and having along its free edge an engagin flap which comes against the bottom 0 the suit case and serves to completely cover the end flaps and constitute a self-locking closure while the weight of the structure comes thereupon or when carried.

5. A structure as set forth'in claim 4 in which the top closing flap or panel of the cover is provided with corner braces while the intermediate portions of the ends thereof are smooth and of single thickness.

6. A structure as set forth in claim 4 in which there is provided an inside cover panel having fastening means to secure the same in place, the outside coverpanel serving to completely cover and protect said fastening means.

ABRAHAM HALPIN. 

